SWANSEA City are poised to make a shock £250,000 move for highly rated Motherwell defender Mark Reynolds before today's transfer deadline.

Brendan Rodgers has decided late in the summer window that he needs cover at the back — and 23-year-old Reynolds looks like being his man.

But whether the Swansea manager will have any success in his bid to sign two forwards was in some doubt last night.

Rodgers has targeted West Ham youngster Frank Nouble and another more established Premier League frontman.

One or both deals could yet come off today, but it could be that Swansea's search for strikers restarts when the emergency loan window opens in a week's time.

Emergency

It may also be the case that their bid to sign Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury is postponed until the emergency market opens.

Swansea are still waiting for the green light from the Gunners to finalise a loan switch amid claims in Yorkshire that Leeds remain in the hunt for Lansbury's signature.

The deal that looks most likely to happen would see Reynolds arriving to provide competition in central defence and at right-back.

The former Scotland Under-21 international — who is tipped to win a first senior cap soon — has been expected to leave Motherwell all summer.

Reynolds has only this season to run on his current deal, and boss Craig Brown recently admitted that the club's recruitment policy depended entirely on his sale.

Scottish giants Rangers offered around £800,000 for Reynolds two years ago, but the bid was turned down because Motherwell were then looking for more than £1 million.

With his contract set to expire, Reynolds's value has plummeted and Swansea believe he will mature into a high-class performer given time at the Liberty. He already has more than 170 senior games under his belt having broken into the Motherwell side as a teenager, and he missed only one match last season.

Newcastle United were reportedly showing an interest in Reynolds earlier this year, while Fulham, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven have all been touted as potential suitors in the past.

Reynolds, who has captained Motherwell in the past, would provide a welcome option at the back for Rodgers, who does not have a host of defensive alternatives.

With Angel Rangel injured, Swansea's resources already look a little thin, Albert Serran having been pressed into emergency right-back duty before Rodgers gave former Wrexham man Neil Taylor his first Championship start in last weekend's win over Burnley.

Reynolds, who has featured in Europe for Motherwell already this season, played what looks like being his last game for the Scottish Premier League club against Celtic on Sunday.

At the start of pre-season, former Scotland boss Brown admitted the time had come for Reynolds to leave Fir Park.

"He deserves the best move he can get and the club is supportive of his move because it would benefit the club financially, and also because it would benefit Mark," Brown said.

"He has been such a terrific servant here."

Ideally Reynolds will arrive at the Liberty today alongside the two forwards and Lansbury, although the chances of every deal coming off before the 6pm deadline look remote.

As for pre-season trialist Kemy Agustien, Swansea expect to secure his signature at some point early next month.